Commercial Drive fire displaces 10, shuts down beloved gelato shop

A fire at a building home to a beloved gelato shop on Commercial Drive that broke out early Tuesday morning has displaced 10 people.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services confirms crews responded to a blaze in the area of Commercial Drive and Graveley Street just before 5:40 a.m.

People gather outside Dolce Amore, a gelato shop on Commercial Drive that’s been forced to close after a fire broke out at its building on Aug. 22, 2023. (CityNews Image)

VFRS Public Information Officer Matthew Trudeau tells CityNews the fire broke out in a first-floor business with residential properties above.

“Crews were met with heavy smoke coming from the first floor,” Trudeau said. “Crews went in to search the building and attack the fire, getting it knocked down, containing it to this one building.”

Trudeau adds there have been no reports of injuries, “thankfully.”

The blaze did grow to a second-alarm fire, Trudeau adds, and 16 apparatus were fighting the blaze.

Emergency crews, including Vancouver police, were seen at the scene blocking off Commercial Drive at 1st Avenue as firefighters battled flames.

Beloved gelato shop closes due to fire

Dolce Amore, a beloved gelato shop on the corner of Commercial Drive and Graveley Street, appears to be the business where the fire broke out.

In a social media post on Tuesday, the business posted a video showing the damage to the interior of its shop.

“They say; life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans. We can’t believe how accurate it is, we were talking and planning bigger and more exciting things for Dolce Amore yesterday, but today, we woke up with the most devastating news. There was a massive fire at Dolce Amore that started this morning, and we still don’t know the exact reason,” the business said in an Instagram post.

The post’s caption goes on to say that the storefront will remain closed so repairs can be made “to our one and only clubhouse.”

The social media post has garnered numerous comments from those mourning the closure of the shop.

“This is awful news, we are so sorry. I have no doubt you will rebuild, and we will be there buying all our fave gelato as soon as you do!” wrote one person.

“I’m so sorry this happened. My favourite gelato shop run by the best family in the world. You guys will re-open bigger and better than before,” another person commented.

Meantime, Trudeau says investigators are working to understand how the fire started.

The number of fires around Vancouver continues to rise, Trudeau says, saying the last six month has seen a “notable increase.”

“We’re still seeing that upward trend where, 12, 13, 14, 15 fires [in a 24-hour period] is not uncommon now, where, last year was eight, nine, 10.”

Trudeau says, with fire calls going up, Vancouver Fire Rescue Services is asking people to be careful as many fires spark from carelessly discarded cigarettes and drugs, or poorly supervised cooking equipment.